The present invention relates to an I/O card for use in a data processing apparatus such as a notebook type personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or the like, and in particular, to a shielding structure of a cable connector socket in such an I/O card.
Generally, the data processing apparatus is provided with a card connector and can selectively be connected with a selected one of external devices through an I/O card therefor received in the card connector.
A known I/O card generally comprises a case, a printed circuit board mounted in the case, and a fitting connector connected to the printed circuit board and having a fitting portion exposed out of the case for connecting with the card connector. The fitting connector is generally referred to as a system fitting connector because it is fitted to the card connector in the data processing apparatus or system. The I/O card further Includes a cable connector socket connected to the printed circuit board and having a mating portion for mating with a cable connector plug. In detail, the case comprises a rectangular frame of an insulator and a pair of cover plates of metal such as stainless steel attached onto both sides of the frame, respectively, to form an inner space in the rectangular frame and between the cover plates. The printed circuit board is disposed in the inner space. The system fitting connector and the cable connector socket are mounted in opposite sides of the frame.
The cable connector plug is mounted on one end of a cable which has the apposite end connected with an external device and is mated with the cable connector socket of the I/O card in order to connect the external device to the I/O card. The cable connector socket and plug are generally referred to as a cable side I/O connector and a card side I/O connector.
In a condition when the I/O card is loaded in the card connector of the data processing apparatus and when the cable connector plug or the cable side I/O connector is mated with the cable connector socket of the I/O card or the card side I/O connector, the data processing apparatus is connected with the external device and can take in and send out data from and to the external device.
In order to avoid the data transferring between the data processing apparatus and the external device from being interfered by external electromagnetic noise, the cable is provided with a shielding jacket layer and the cable side and card side connectors are provided with metallic shells.
According the PC card standards by the Compact Flash Association (CFA), the I/O card is determined to have a specific thickness. It is difficult, however, to manufacture a thin I/O card having the protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) while meeting the standards. Specifically, the use of the metallic shell for the card side I/O connector results in difficulty of production of such a thin X/O card and leads to an increased cost because of a complicated process in assembling the shell to the card side I/O connector.
Further, in order to lock the connection between the cable side I/O connector and the card side I/O connector, the cable side I/O connector has elastic locking keys projecting from its shell. The cable side I/O connector is formed with locking holes in its shell for engaging the locking keys when the cable side I/O connector is mated with the card side I/O connector. This makes a structure of the I/O card complicated.